PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS: AN UPDATE FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

This article provides an overview of medications used frequently in the treatment of pediatric depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The need for a collaborative relationship between the prescribing physician, school personnel, and the family is outlined. School psychologists can play crucial roles by providing the physician with information at the time of referral, developing school‐based psychosocial interventions that augment pharmacological treatment, completing periodic evaluations to assist in symptom monitoring, and alerting the family and physician to any adverse side effects.     

Comparison of scores for intellectually gifted students on the WISC-R and the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet

The WISC-R and the Fourth Edition of the Stanford-Binet (SB: FE) were compared in the identification and assessment of 48 intellectually gifted students in the primary and secondary grades. While only a 3.2-point difference between the mean SB: FE Composite score and the mean WISC-R Full Scale score was found, (r = .393, p. ⩽ .01), the t test between the two scores was significant (t = 2.30, p ⩽ .05). Correlations between the three scales of the WISC-R and the SB: FE four broad area and Composite scores ranged from −.219 (SB: FE Abstract/Visual Reasoning with WISC-R Verbal) to .599 (SB: FE Short-Term Memory with WISC-R Full Scale). Within the correlational matrix, only 5 of the 15 correlations were significant. Both the SB: FE Abstract/Visual Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Area scores had no significant correlations with any of the WISC-R scores.     

Designing Large-Scale Multisite and Cluster-Randomized Studies of Professional Development

We develop a theoretical and empirical basis for the design of teacher professional development studies. We build on previous work by (a) developing estimates of intraclass correlation coefficients for teacher outcomes using two- and three-level data structures, (b) developing estimates of the variance explained by covariates, and (c) modifying the conventional optimal design framework to include differential covariate costs so as to capture the point at which the cost of collecting a covariate overtakes the reduction in variance it supplies. We illustrate the use of these estimates to explore the absolute and relative sensitivity of multilevel designs in teacher professional development studies. The results from these analyses are intended to guide researchers in making more-informed decisions about the tradeoffs and considerations involved in selecting study designs for assessing the impacts of professional development programs.     

Body image dissatisfaction and distortion,steroid use,and sex differences in college age bodybuilders

College age bodybuilders were compared by sex (female, male) and steroid intake (nonuse, use) on two variables: body image dissatisfaction and body image distortion. Results of 2 × 2 ANOVAs (sex by steroid use) revealed only a significant effect for gender on body distortion. No steroid‐use differences were apparent for either body image dissatisfaction or body image distortion. Further analyses indicated that female bodybuilders were equally split between desiring more muscle bulk versus a thinner frame, whereas the majority of male bodybuilders wanted to build more muscle mass. These results are compared to previous research with non‐bodybuilders wherein body image dissatisfaction was unidirectional for females (i.e., all desired slimness) yet bidirectional for males (i.e., some aspired to increased muscle mass whereas others sought a reduction in body fat). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.